P
Dorset
L E N T Y
to Plate:
From PScoalrtlops
Cooked in minutes, there’s no fancier fast food than hand-dived Dorset scallops.
callops with black pudding is like this century’s
SLoubet
prawn cocktail. Pioneered by chef Bruno
in the 1990s, the sweet meat of this
12
shellfish is posh enough to kick off a dinner party
(dived scallops are expensive) and it shows off
the skill of the home chef as scallops are easy to
overcook. Paired with salty blood sausage, it has
become a classic modern British starter, and just
like the retro prawn cocktail, is delicious when
prepared properly.
It would be difficult to go wrong with handdived scallops from the Dorset coast. You should
make sure they have been caught by scuba divers,
too, as although this will make them more costly,
the alternative is dredged scallops, a method of
fishing which damages the seabed.
Given the fact that many people seem to have
less time for cooking these days, scallops shouldn’t
prove tricky to serve. After all, you don’t need
to cook scallops in the pan for more then three
minutes. All you need to do is heat some oil in
a pan, season the scallops with salt and pepper
and give them a minute on each side. If in doubt,
undercook them as it’s fine to eat scallops that are
raw in the middle. In fact, you don’t even need to
heat them – sliced thinly, they’re great in a lime
ceviche, pepped up with a smidgen of chilli. You
needn’t even bother letting the lime juice do your
work as they’re also good raw dipped in soy or
mustard, but if you are cooking them with black
pudding or chorizo, pureed peas, broad beans or
cauliflower are the perfect accompaniment.
And don’t forget the tasty bright orange coral
(how could you miss it) – as long as it’s plump
and not withered, don’t discard it along with the
membrane, organs and intestines. Instead, you can
cook it attached to the scallop if you’re planning
on searing them quickly. Corals do cook quicker
than the white meat, though, so you can separate
them and add them to the pan later.
Scallops make for a great starter, but if you want
to make a meal of it, add a touch of luxury to your
fish stew or paella by adding scallops. They go
well with Asian flavours like coriander and lime
in a noodle dish, and they can also be served in a
gratin – the cheesy breadcrumbs adding a
satisfying crunch to the soft shellfish.
If you buy scallops in the
shell, you can actually steam
them after you’ve prepared
them. Great with Chinese
flavours like soy and ginger.
Ha nd Dived Scallops with Pickled Pea r
Samways’ diver John dives all year round, so long as the
waters are clear enough to see the scallops, he’ll bring us Lyme
Bay’s sweetest meat. This is a great way to serve them.
Ingredients Method
12 hand-dived scallops, shucked
and washed
1 pear
Pickling Liquid ingredients:
300g cider vinegar
300g water
1 clove
5 peppercorns
3 juniper berries
1 clove of garlic
Wood sorrel to garnish
Salt and pepper
The classic
scallops with
black pudding
starter.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
1. Peel and quarter the pear, bring
the pickling liquid to the boil, add
the pear and leave to cool.
2. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil
in a non-stick pan and cook the
scallops. Three quarters of the
cooking time should be on one
side, and then turn the scallops
to finish on the other side. The
cooking process should take no
longer than two minutes.
3. Serve on a warm plate with
a salad of the pickled pear and
wood sorrel.